The Irish standard., 1887-08-27
foREiGN TOPICS.

WOrld ana man lalRS tU opera house Out OA
his private purse
THEY have free industrial schools in
Norway, for girls that do grand work
admirably. Female children from eigh!
to sixteen years of age, are taught partic.
ularly the domestic Industries, and are
to be seen daily in cheerful groups at
work upon all sorts of garments super
vised by competent teachers o1 their own
sex.
The coal beds of China are i've
times as large as those Of all Europe,
while gold, silver, lead tin, copper, iron,
marble and petroleum are'au found in the
greatest abundance. Owing to tn, preju-
lice of the people, the mines have never
been worked to any extent, it being the
popular belief in China that If these mines
are opened thousands OF demons and pirits
imprisoned in the earth would come forth,
ana fiji the country with way and suffer
ing.
OF the forest Of Applecross. West Ros-
shire, Scotland, it is said 1t Includes sew
enty thousand acres OF choice woodland
the scenery OF which is magnificent.
There are no finer corries in the High
lands, and the deer stalking is excellent.
There are also plenty Of grouse, and cap.
ital salmon fishing. Applecross House is
close to the sea. This place formerly be-
songed to the Mackenzies, whose estate Of
$4,000 acres Was sold to the late Duke Of
Leeds in 1854 The property vas one OF
she finest in the Highlands. and in 1863 it
was divided INTO three portions, OF which
Applecross now belongs TO Lord Middle
ton and AucElnas hellach to Lord 19inn
borne.
In the State OF Jghiapa, Central America,
ere said to be some ct the richest coffee
plantations in the world. An area ct 14c
ceres of land produces 2O,0D pounds OF
coffee annually, the profit realized being
100000. a neighboring State, Oaxaca, is
described as i. very noun tiinous district,
where the people live i'll constant state OF
intoxication. Their country is barren and
sandy. Nothing grows there but a plant
which belongs to the family Of the cactus,
out of which they manufacture pulque.
The people, who are called Topoteros and
Mistecos, are, according to the country's
traditions, the direct descendants OF the
old Aztecs, who had left architectural
monuments behind them that are astcnish.
ing
In an analysis Of the feelings OF the Eli
glish on royalty it is said the people want
no change. They are perfectly well salts
fed with a constitution which gives them
all the romance Of hereditary sovereignty
combined with all the pracrical advantages
Of parliamentary governments. The En-
glish people know very well that from no
sovereign OF the illnstrious house which
sits upon the throne Of these realms are
they, ever likely to have any thing 10 fear.
They know also chat the duties Of royalty
are at the same time real and onerous; and
that al English King or Queen can per
form services to the country, and excrciso
species Of authority, which we should
expect in vain from an elective chief mag
strate.
THE force Of bad example has its illustra-
ton in Governments as well as in individ-
uais. Thus, because France and Germany
are arning themselves TO the teeth, and
increasing the taxes upon the people in Or
der TO meet the expenses thereof, little
Belgium must needs go and do likewise.
The Prime Minister desires to siren =gthen
the fortress on the Meuse river bly,
Italy, Greece and Switzerland will in due
time follow: and thus the Con tiMent will be
a vast camp. S,lch a strain as this must
exhaust the resources Of any people, and
weaken them, even in times Of peace.
Even a war could not be much worse in
draining the resources OF any nation than
such all armed neutrality as prevails ut
present in Europe.
ACCORDING to writers from Holland, the
men-folk are a sadly~ungalIant set. No
Dutch gentleman when walking on tho
sidewalk wilt move out OF his way for a
lady; the woman turns out into the road
invariably, AMI the danger and nuddiness
OF the street make. no difference. The
male bipel keeps the pave always. The
ladies of Holland uncscolted must not pass
a. club, and yet the frequsnters Of clubs in
the daytime are principally raw youths OF
an exceedingly non-hirsute appearance,
and it looks idiotic to see ladies go out of
their way two, or even three squares, to
avoid being gazed at by club hab:tues 70
expect that gentlemen would pay those
delicate little attentions to the fair sex,
such as turning the leaves OF musiss, hanu-
ing Il chair, etc, would be erroneous.
INFORMATION is given in q London paper
of q new and cheap telephone that it IS
thought will come into general use through
out Europe. 1t is Of very small size, and
in appearance resem bles as nearly us can
be described a shield covering the button
OF an electric bell. Merely touching it
summons one on the other end OF the wire.
In order TO converse. the shield, which
forms the receiver and is attached to the
w.? u NlIC III ally
is removed from the wall and applied to
the ear. The part exposed is a disc Of car
bon, and any sound uttered at or near 1t is
plainly conveyed to the receiver The per-
sons conversing may each be one yard
away from the instrument ana yet make
their voices plainly hcard, while the bat.
terry power needed is no greater than that
used in working electric bells, The cost
is small, and application universal
A TRAVELLER i'll this holy land furnishes
the following mixed information The in-
PRODUCTION of soap is doing much TO civilHe
the people Of the holy land. A large soap
factory has been established on the site OF
ancient sheclxem, and the people are be-
ginning to use 1t on their persons instead
OF trying to eat it, as they did at first.
Along with the introduction Of soap other
refoYms are going ON Bethlehem has been
rebuilt and the streets are lighted With
gas. CesaHna is having a building boom
Nazareth is becoming the headquarters of
big olive oil spectators Corner lots in
Joppa are going up with a rush. and real
estate in Mount Carmel is largely held by
spectators for ali advance AL around
Shechem tA1ere is q lively demand fer good
soap fat, and the sIeey inhabitants OF
Ramoth Gilead think OF building a glue
factory.
FROM Paris comes an account OF an in
l.,